


The smell of family

by dont_hate_me01



Series: SEAL Team Week 2020 [4]
Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Genre: Cerberus POV, Day #7 - Free choice, Gen, SEAL Team Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:59:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22282243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: His nose was no longer in the air, instead he had it on the floor, sniffing every inch of the room as he tracked the scent. He knew this scent, engraved in his mind, like the other scents that’s important in life. You know, like bacon, or a juicy piece of steak. But also, like dad’s scent. And uncles Jason, Ray, Sonny and Trent. All very important.
Series: SEAL Team Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601005
Comments: 24
Kudos: 125





	The smell of family

**Author's Note:**

> **AN 1:** Thank you to, [RoboFoxtrot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoboFoxtrot) for organizing this awesome week!
> 
>  **AN 2:** To all of the authors who posted their hard work for us to drool over, thank you again for each and every story!
> 
>  **AN 3:** And lastly to the readers, thank you for reading all of the stories!

Cerberus entered the cages and came to a halt. He stuck his nose in the air and took a deep whiff. He started to wiggle his tail and headed deeper into the room.

His nose was no longer in the air, instead he had it on the floor, sniffing every inch of the room as he tracked the scent. He knew this scent, engraved in his mind, like the other scents that’s important in life. You know, like bacon, or a juicy piece of steak. But also, like dad’s scent. And uncles Jason, Ray, Sonny and Trent. All very important. When he smells them, he knows they are all present and life is good.

But this scent, this scent was special. This is the scent of the youngster called Clay, who saved uncles Jason and Ray’s lives. He had heard and saw how angry uncle Jason was and it had made him frown. He knew uncle Jason didn’t want to die, so he didn’t understand why uncle Jason was mad? It didn’t make sense and dad couldn’t explain it either.

Cerberus tracked the scent and huffed as it led him back to the door they’d entered through. Really? He managed not to whine, not hard in any case, and trotted back to his dad. He sat down in front of dad’s cage and looked on as the man that raised him since he was eight weeks old search for something.

When he saw he wasn’t going to get his dad’s attention, Cerberus barked and then grinned as his dad nearly jumped in the air. He loved doing that.

“What’s it boy?”

He barked again in an attempt to get his dad to hurry up. If Clay’s scent grew cold, he was going to be a very unhappy dog.“Okay, okay, I’m coming. I just need…” Dad’s voice trailed off as he got lost in his own thoughts and this time Cerberus wasn’t above whining. Really? He got an idea. He had no idea what his dad was looking for, but if he started sniffing, his dad might tell him, and he could find it. Didn’t his human understand – time was of the essence here!

Cerberus entered the enclosed space and started sniffing around in the opposite corner. He kept an eye out for his dad, and carefully moved towards him. When his dad was right next to him, Cerberus turned sharply and bumped his dad. It worked perfectly.

“Sorry, boy. I didn’t see you there, I was looking for my tactical gloves. I know I tossed them in here somewhere, but I can’t find them.”

Gloves? This was all about gloves? If Cerberus could, he would’ve rolled his eyes. Instead, he sighed as loudly as possible. Trotted over to the rack on the side, and pulled the gloves down, and held them between his teeth. He growled as it was impossible to bark with his mouth full, and he didn’t want to drop the things. What if they got lost again?

He waited patiently sitting down for his dad to notice that he’d found them. Except, well, it seems like his dad got distracted again. He was no longer looking for the gloves, but paged through one or other book.

With another huff, he dropped the gloves, crossed the distance between them and bumped his head against the back of his dad’s knee. He turned around, got the gloves, sat down and waited. Again.

“You found them?” Brock hunched down and scratched Cerberus’ ears. “Good boy.” He took the gloves from the dog and placed them where he could find them again. “Now, where was I?” Brock reached for the book.

This won’t do. It was on days like this that Cerberus wished he could do more than bark, seriously! It was time to take things into his own hands, or paws, whatever, he needed to get out of here. He needed to find Clay!

Ignoring his dad, Cerberus made his way over to the door, stood up and with his paws pressed down on the handle. He knew it wouldn’t open the door, as it had that thingy next to the side where dad and everyone else did something with it before it opened, but hopefully, this action would steer his dad into the right direction.

“In a minute, Cerb.” Dad’s voice sounded from the side and now he wanted to howl out of frustration.

Well, if that didn’t work, then the next plan would most likely work. He would get scowled at, but sometimes a dog needs to do what a dog needs to do. Cerb made his way back to where his dad still stood with his nose buried in that book. He sniffed around dad’s ankles, and promptly lifted his leg. The unmanly shriek from his dad alone was worth all the trouble he just got himself into.

“Bad boy!” Brock shook his foot and reached for wipes to clean his trousers and boots. He looked down and saw the expression on his best friend’s face. He sighed. “I’m sorry, boy. You’ve been so helpful and trying to tell me at the same time that you needed to go out. This is my fault.” He tossed the wipes away, took his key, locked the cage, and walked to the door. “Let’s get out of here,” Brock entered the door code and stood to the side for Cerb to head out first.

Finally! With his nose back on the floor, Cerb easily picked up the Clay’s scent again and started following it. He was aware of his dad walking behind him, but he knew his dad was safe in this building. Instead, he concentrated more on what he was doing. He wagged his tail as they neared the room where everyone gathered to talk about serious stuff. Could it be? Could Clay be in there? Cerberus came to a halt and waited.

“I thought you needed to pee?” Dad’s voice sounded behind him and Cerberus sighed softly. He turned and glared.

Brock raised his hands in defeat. “What, you peed on my boots, and now you want to go and greet the guys?” He shook his head but placed his phone in the holder and then reached out, to open the door.

Yes! They were going in! Cerberus darted in, nose nowhere near the floor, Clay’s scent was fresh and strong in the air. And there he was. Standing on the side of the room. He looked calm, but Cerberus could smell him. Clay smelled nervous, but hopefully not for long. Dad and the rest of the pack, was the best pack in the world.

Tongue out, white teeth visible in the biggest grin he could make, Cerberus darted over to the young man. To Clay. He sniffed his shoes, trousers, and then licked his fingers. Cerberus sighed as the youngster hunched down and scratched him at the back of his ears. Just at that one spot that dad never manages to find. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. It was perfect.

“Hey boy. You’re doing well? You okay?” Clay asked him and Cerberus wiggled his whole body, yipping and licking the youngster’s face. He was okay, he was well. He was in doggy heaven; he’d found Clay.

Cerberus used his whole body and with some sure movements he got Clay to sit down on the floor. That was so much better. Without waiting for an invitation, he climbed onto the youngster’s lap and sighed in content.

“Cerb?”

Cerberus opened his eyes. He didn’t even realize that he’d closed them and looked at his dad.

“Comfortable?”

Cerberus wagged his tail. Yes, he was comfortable, so comfortable. He nudged Clay’s hand as the young man stopped scratching him. When Clay laughed, it made Cerberus turn and licked him through the face again. Clay leaned in and kissed him right between the eyes.

He cocked his head as he heard voices at the door. It opened up and uncle Jason, uncle Ray, uncle Trent, and uncle Sonny walked in. Uncle Jason came over and stood right in front of them. Cerberus looked up. Uncle Jason stood with his hands on his hips, he had a weird expression on his face. Cerberus cocked his head.

“Looks like we made the right choice, Ray,” Jason called over his shoulder.

Cerberus looked on as uncle Ray joined uncle Jason. Even uncle Sonny and uncle Trent joined them. He became aware that Clay became very rigid beneath him and he turned to look at the pup. He could smell the nervousness as it poured from Clay. He leaned forward and lapped at his Clay’s nose. He gave a doggy grin when it worked and Clay laughed. All the rigidness disappeared from Clay’s body and Cerberus sighed.

“Seems like Cerberus had adopted Clay, on behalf of the team.”

Dad spoke up and Cerberus looked at him with a frown. He knew the word _adopted_. It means taken in by someone who would love you forever just because you are you. He cocked his head again. Dad said _he_ \- him, Cerberus had adopted Clay on behalf of the team. _Their_ team. Bravo team. That meant they were keeping Clay – they were keeping the pup!

Cerberus jumped from Clay’s lap. He wiggled his body, licked Clay’s face, his arms, his hands, hell, any place he could as he yipped playfully. He hopped around and jumped against his dad and gave him doggy kisses. He did the same with uncle Jason and everyone else. They all laughed at his antics and then he finally sat down right next to Clay again. The pup, sorry, _their_ pup, didn’t smell nervous anymore. Instead, he smelled happy. Just the way Cerberus wanted him to smell.

Cerberus placed his head on Clay’s knee and closed his eyes. Their pack was finally complete and now he could rest. With Uncle’s Jason’s voice in his ears, and Clay’s hand scratching his head, Cerberus closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He dreamt of catching the bad guys and playing with his pack.

**The End**


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